Liquid crystal display device

• US 10,185,184 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Tomioka, Yasushi, Kunimatsu, Noboru, Hyodo, Yosuke, Kaneko, Toshiki, Matsumoto, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang V
• Application Number:
  US15/660,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 349155
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13396 Spacers having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes: a TFT substrate having gate lines and data lines arranged thereon, the gate lines extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction, the data lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction; a counter substrate having a black matrix and a color filter; and liquid crystals put between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate. Columnar spacers are fainted on the counter substrate. Pedestals are formed on portions of the TFT substrate, the portions corresponding to the columnar spacers. A convex portion and a concave portion are present at the top end of the columnar spacer. The pedestal is formed corresponding to the concave portion. The concave portion is opened at the ends thereof and connected to the lateral side of the columnar spacer.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a transistor substrate including a plurality of transistors, a second protrusion, and a fourth protrusion; and

a counter substrate facing the transistor substrate and including a first protrusion and a third protrusion, wherein

in a plan view, the first protrusion is located adjacent to the second protrusion in a first direction, a side surface of the first protrusion faces a side surface of the second protrusion,

in a plan view, the third protrusion is located adjacent to the fourth protrusion in a second direction that intersects the first direction, a side surface of the third protrusion faces a side surface of the fourth protrusion,

a first set of protrusions includes the first protrusion and the second protrusion and one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is respectively in contact with the transistor substrate and the counter substrate,

a second set of protrusions includes the third protrusion and the fourth protrusion and one of the third protrusion and the fourth protrusion is respectively in contact with the transistor substrate and the counter substrate, and

the first set of protrusions is separately and alternatively arranged from the second set of protrusions by a different gate line or data line.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the transistor substrate further includes a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode,

in a plan view, the first set of protrusions corresponds to the first pixel electrode, and

in a plan view, the second set of protrusions corresponds to the second pixel electrode.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second protrusion overlaps with a semiconductor layer, in a plan view.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a gap extends between the first protrusion and the transistor substrate.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a gap extends between the second protrusion and the counter substrate.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first protrusion includes a first area that overlaps the second protrusion and a second area that does not overlap the second protrusion, in a plan view.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a height of the first protrusion is greater than a height of the second protrusion.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the transistor substrate further includes a sixth protrusion,

the counter substrate further includes a fifth protrusion,

in a plan view, the sixth protrusion is located adjacent to the fifth protrusion in the first direction in this order, a side surface of the fifth protrusion faces a side surface of the sixth protrusion, and

a third set of protrusions includes the fifth protrusion and the sixth protrusion and one of the fifth protrusion and the sixth protrusion is in contact with an opposing substrate.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein

the transistor substrate further includes an eighth protrusion,

the counter substrate further includes a seventh protrusion,

in a plan view, the eighth protrusion is located adjacent to the seventh protrusion in the second direction in this order, a side surface of the seventh protrusion faces a side surface of the eighth protrusion, and

a fourth set of protrusions includes the seventh protrusion and the eighth protrusion and one of the seventh protrusion and the eighth protrusion is in contact with an opposing substrate.

11. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the first set of protrusions and the third set of protrusions are arranged substantially parallel to each other, in a plan view.

12. The display device according to claim 10, wherein the third set of protrusions and the fourth set of protrusions are arranged substantially parallel to each other, in a plan view.

13. A display device comprising:

a transistor substrate including a plurality of transistors, a second protrusion, and a sixth protrusion; and

a counter substrate facing the transistor substrate and including a first protrusion and a fifth protrusion, wherein

in a plan view, the first protrusion is located adjacent to the second protrusion in a first direction in this order, a side surface of the first protrusion faces a side surface of the second protrusion,

in a plan view, the sixth protrusion is located adjacent to the fifth protrusion in the first direction in this order, a side surface of the fifth protrusion faces a side surface of the sixth protrusion,

a first set of protrusions includes the first protrusion and the second protrusion and one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is respectively in contact with the transistor substrate and the counter substrate,

a third set of protrusions includes the fifth protrusion and the sixth protrusion and one of the fifth protrusion and the sixth protrusion is respectively in contact with the transistor substrate and the counter substrate, and

the first set of protrusions is separately and alternatively arranged from the third set of protrusions by a different gate line or a data line.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein

the transistor substrate further includes a first pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode,

in a plan view, the first set of protrusions corresponds to the first pixel electrode, and

in a plan view, the third set of protrusions corresponds to the third pixel electrode.

15. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the second protrusion overlaps with a semiconductor layer, in a plan view.

16. The display device according to claim 13, wherein a gap extends between the first protrusion and the transistor substrate.

17. The display device according to claim 13, wherein a gap extends between the second protrusion and the counter substrate.

18. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the first protrusion includes a first area that overlaps the second protrusion and a second area that does not overlap the second protrusion, in a plan view.

19. The display device according to claim 13, wherein a height of the first protrusion is greater than a height of the second protrusion.

20. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the first set of protrusions and the third set of protrusions are arranged substantially parallel to each other, in a plan view.